Salinas is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Willow Glen is on an 11-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Cowboys will host the Rams at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Salinas 2.5, Willow Glen 1.6) so any runs scored will be well earned.
If Salinas beats Willow Glen with seven runs on Saturday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. The Cowboys walked away with a 7-3 win over North Salinas on Thursday. The victory continues a trend for the Cowboys in their matchups with the Vikings: they've now won five in a row.
Bella Machuca looked comfortable as she tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Kelsie Domenighini, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. She also hit a triple, marking her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Gigi Rossi, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI.
Salinas kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Willow Glen). They blew past Leland 17-2 on Thursday. Considering the Rams have won 12 matchups by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Lea Crawford was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, seven RBI, and two runs. Those seven RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Elli Hornstein, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Willow Glen's win bumped their record up to 22-0. As for Salinas, their victory bumped their record up to 16-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Salinas has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Willow Glen struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Salinas beat Willow Glen 6-1 when the teams last played back in March of 2023. Do the Cowboys have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rams turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
